


A Wish Made

by Zorak23



Series: Make a Wish [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comfort, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wish Fulfillment, this will give you cavities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorak23/pseuds/Zorak23
Summary: An AU one-shot with the potential for more.A young Hermione Granger makes a frantic, accidental wish, and is ecstatic when the wish comes true.
Series: Make a Wish [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823011
Comments: 138
Kudos: 396





	A Wish Made

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: The following is a work of fanfiction. While no copyright infringement is intended, I do subscribe to the “death of the author” literary criticism that allows for enjoyment of a published work(s) without supporting said author’s horrific views. Trans rights are human rights. The average life expectancy of Black trans women is just 35 years. We have to do better. We have to be better. Black Lives Matter. Trans lives matter. COVID cancelled Pride; welcome to Gay Wrath Month.
> 
> Beta Love: ambiguousgoldfish, the best beta in the world. Brit-picked by JacqP, my favorite Northern Lass.

****

**1986**

“Hermione Jean Granger, for the last time, put that book down and go outside to play! The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day, and you will not spend the entirety of the summer in your bedroom!” Helen Granger told her daughter for the umpteeth time that day, frustrated that the tiny girl saw nothing wrong with spending her entire life with her nose buried in a book. 

“But Mummy, the scientists have just gone missing and the five haven’t met the performers yet! I’ll go play just as soon as Mr Slither comes,” Hermione pleaded, hoping for a few more minutes to read. 

“March, young lady! And you may _not_ take your book outside with you. You’ve only been out of school for a week and you’re already on the eleventh book! You’ve read all of the Famous Five books before, dear. Go outside and soak up some Vitamin D. See if you can’t make a friend or two. There are several children already playing outside.”

The now-pouting child carefully marked her place in her beloved book and slid off her bed. Giving her mother a pitiful look, she said, “If I had an older brother like Anne does, I just know _he’d_ let me read whenever I wanted.”

Helen sighed, and watched her only child as she trudged down the stairs towards the front door. “You’d think I was sending her off to war, not out to play,” she muttered to herself. Neither Helen nor her husband David quite knew what to do with their precocious daughter most of the time. As smart as she was, she had the hardest time making friends, and none of the activities that they’d signed her up for seemed to work out. Something always went wrong. Helen had originally purchased Hermione the first book of the _Famous Five_ series in an attempt to jump-start the girl’s sense of adventure, but it had yet to pan out. The girl was starting her third read-through of the entire series, and she was just six years old. 

Outside, Hermione trudged down the front steps to the garden. After carefully looking both ways, she crossed the street to the small park opposite her home. Her mother had been right; there were several children already there, running and playing a game of some sort. She sighed heavily, recognizing two of the meanest boys from her Year 1 class. 

_‘Other children just don’t like me',_ she thought unhappily to herself, wishing her mother understood. Hoping to avoid detection, she quickly crossed to a large tree and settled herself down at a crook in the roots to watch the others play. Pulling her knees up to her chin, Hermione began to daydream as she watched, seeing herself able to happily play with the others, to run, to jump, to partake in their games. Perhaps with a brother or two. An older brother, one who would protect her and not let the other children call her names like swot or teacher’s pet, or pull on her hair and say it was mad.

“Hey! It’s that freaky girl!” Hermione’s head snapped up from where it had been resting on her knees. The boys had noticed her and were advancing towards her tree. 

“Nooo…” she whispered, slowly getting to her feet. 

“Not in class now, are we, teacher’s pet?” the larger boy said. “Can’t tell on us this time.” His friend laughed, the sound making shivers of fear race down her back. 

“Get her!” the second boy yelled, and Hermione took off. She raced away from the tree, further into the park, wishing as hard as she could for someone to help her, to take her away. She tripped and fell, skinning her hands and knees, but leapt up and continued running. Shouts of “come back here, loser,” and “get the weirdo!” rang in her ears as she ran. 

Hermione knew she should run home, but crossing the street would only slow her down. Hoping to lose them further in the park, or at least to keep enough ahead for them to lose interest, she kept running. “I wish I had a brother, I wish I had a brother,” she panted out as she ran. Tripping again, hard this time, her last thought before she hit the ground was, _‘I want my brother!’_

“Hey, where’d she go?” the smaller of the two boys asked, slowing to a stop. The older boy looked around, just as confused. The small girl they’d been chasing was just… gone. 

* * *

In the back room of Mr Mulpeppers Apothecary, Severus Snape was perusing the recent shipment of boomslang skin and occamy eggs, two rare ingredients that had become quite hard to find as of late. As this allotment was only available in the Knockturn Alley shop, Severus was quite sure that the procurement had been less than completely legal. However, needs must, so here he was. He snorted softly to himself at the idea that Knockturn Alley should somehow make him uncomfortable, and continued going over the boomslang skin. Most was quite poor quality, but there were some pieces that seemed fresh enough…

_*CRACK*_

The sudden, loud noise startled him so much that he dropped the piece of skin he was holding and immediately palmed his wand. Whirling around, he was surprised to see a small child cowering on the floor next to him. 

_‘Who brought this child here? No one should be able to apparate through these wards,’_ Severus thought to himself but saw nothing else amiss; he slowly crouched down next to the crying child. A crying girl-child wearing distinctly muggle clothes? With skinned and bleeding knees? Just what was going on?

“Are you quite alright?” he asked gruffly, not sure how to comfort a child so small. Shocked, he watched as she tightened up into a ball, hiding her head full of bushy hair under her arms. He could barely make out what she was whispering, but it sounded like, _‘please don’t hurt me, I wish I had a brother, please don’t hurt me…’_

“Lass, come now. I won’t hurt you, but you do look like you’ve been hurt. Here, let me take a look.” Severus was gratified when she took a shuddering breath and slowly lifted her head. Wide, chocolate-brown eyes met his own black ones, and he reached out his hand towards her. “There’s a good lass. Now, stand up, let’s see what we can do about those knees, hm?”

The child reached out to grasp his hand, and he quickly took her by the wrist when he saw the scrapes on her palm. 

“Did you have a tumble somewhere? This looks quite painful. Shall I fix it for you?”

She nodded slowly, then watched with wide eyes as he drew his wand and waved it over her palm. The dirt and grass disappeared, and her skin knitted itself back together. 

“Magic,” she breathed. 

“Indeed. Now if you would allow me to see your knees, I should like to heal them as well. Can’t have you bleeding all over the place,” he replied, brow quirked at her tone. 

He was rewarded with a small giggle, which made something in his heart clench. Shaking his head a bit, he made quick work of her skinned knees, then helped her to her feet. Just when he was about to ask how she’d gotten through the wards, she spoke. 

“Sir? Where am I?”

“You don’t know?” Severus asked, blinking. She shook her head. “How did you get here, lass?” A shrug. “Did someone bring you here?” Another shake. Frustrated, he said, “Verbal answers, if you please. What happened before you arrived?” She shrank back from him and he cursed himself for his harsh tone. 

“I was running from the mean boys in the park. Children don’t like me, you see,” she stared at the floor as she spoke, scuffing the toe of her trainer on the floor. “They were chasing me, and I fell, and I kept running, but then I fell again and… I was just here. I don’t understand what happened…but...” she trailed off, and he was horrified to see her lip start to quiver.

“Now, now, none of that. It sounds as if you’ve accidentally apparated yourself here. Explains how you got through the wards, I’d say… in any case, I can help you get home. Where do you live, lass?” 

“I live at thirty-two Hazel Avenue, Worsley, Manchester, M22, 2SD. My phone number is 0161-771367,” she recited immediately. Severus stared blankly at her for a moment. 

“That’s a muggle address.”

“What’s a muggle?”

“Bloody hell.”

“Language.”

“My apologies,” Severus said with a snort, then he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, come along. Let’s get you home. Seems someone should have a talk with your parents, as well.” He was shocked when he felt her small hand slip into his. Looking down, he saw a look of absolute trust on her face, along with a small smile. He cleared his suddenly dry throat and said, “Right. Yes. This way, then,” and led her out of the back room. Severus had to stifle a grin at the look of wide-eyed amazement on her face when she saw the shelves of potions ingredients in the main part of the shop. 

“What _is_ this place?” she whispered. 

“An Apothecary,” he replied. “They sell ingredients to make potions, er, medicines.”

“And you make medicines?” she asked, pulling him along behind her as she went for a closer look at the barrel of frog brains. 

“Look, don’t touch. I’ll need a moment to finish my purchase, then be right back to collect you,” he said sternly. She nodded in reply, clasping her hands behind her back, and walked further into the store to see more of the offerings. He snorted softly to himself, shook his head, and walked towards the counter. 

“Done in the back, then?” Mr Mulpepper asked in his gravely voice. 

“Quite. I believe I’ve found the only usable portions of the shipment,” Severus replied as he handed over his choices for weighing. 

With one liver spotted hand placing the ingredients on the scale, the elderly man’s other hand suddenly pointed across the room. 

“Hey! You there! What are you doing in my shop?”

The tiny girl froze where she was, and looked around in fright. Severus calmly stalked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“I found her in the back, Mulpepper. Accidental apparition. I’m taking her home as soon as I’m through here.”

“Accidental apparition, you say? And she didn’t splinch herself? She’ll be a powerful one, mark my words.” He nodded thoughtfully as he scratched at his scraggly beard, then turned his rheumy eyes to look directly at the child. “Stay out of my shop. No children allowed. There’s too many dangerous substances in here, and some of them are made from snot-nosed brats.”

With a startled “eep!” she dashed behind Severus and hid herself from view, grasping hold of his robes. Rolling his eyes as Mulpepper cackled behind the counter, Severus pulled the back of his robes out of her hands and crouched down to her level once more. 

“He’s a nasty old man, but he wouldn’t hurt you. Come along, now, let's be off.” Again, Severus was shocked by her absolute trust in him, as she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight. With a sigh, he stood, now holding the child. “I expect a discount next time for this,” he growled to the cackling man, then exited the shop. 

“I never got your name, lass,” Severus said as he strode down Knockturn Alley. 

“Hermione Granger, sir. It’s very nice to meet you,” she replied, her head resting on his shoulder. 

“Mm. Hermione is a big name for a little girl,” he commented, trying not to smile as she twisted the buttons on his robes this way and that. 

Hermione sighed. “I know. It’s another thing that children don’t like about me.”

Severus’ heart gave another lurch. “I have a big name, too. Children didn’t like me much when I was small, either.”

“Really?” she asked, looking up at him in surprise. 

“Really,” he answered, giving her a small grin. “My name is Severus Snape. Not something one hears everyday, lass.”

“Severus Snape,” she whispered, turning the unfamiliar words over in her mouth. “I quite like it,” she decided, nodding her head. “It’s… distinguished.”

Severus grinned fully at her then. “I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before.” He tapped the end of her nose with one long finger and said, “You may call me Severus if you wish.”

“And you may call me Hermione,” she grinned. 

“Why were you at the park, if children don’t like you?” Severus suddenly asked, the thought having just come to him. He winced when he saw her face fall. 

“Mummy says I can’t spend my entire summer with my nose in a book,” she said sadly. 

“What a load of tosh. Why shouldn’t you be able to do that? Reading is fundamental.”

“That’s what _I_ said!” she exclaimed, and Severus chuckled. 

“What kind of books do you like to read?” he asked, for some reason wanting to make the small girl smile again. 

“Oh, everything,” she replied reverently. “But my favorites are the Famous Five books.”

“Mm. I remember those books. Julian, Dick, Anne and George, right?” 

“And their dog Timmy!” Hermione said excitedly. “They get to do ever so many exciting things! And Anne has _brothers,”_ she sighed happily. 

The corner of Severus’ lip quirked up at her wistful tone. He walked out of Knockturn Alley and onto Diagon, still carrying the girl, and said, “You must be an only child.”

“Yes,” came a rather sad reply. “I’ve always wanted a brother.”

“Maybe you’ll get one,” he offered, at somewhat of a loss, but the child shook her head. 

“I want an _older_ brother. Besides, Mummy and Daddy already have too much to handle with me.”

“I beg your pardon?” It sounded as if she had been repeating something oft-heard, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. 

“People say I’m _precocious._ Which is true, I suppose, if you go by the definition. But what they mean is that I’m _different,_ and that they don’t like it. I’m too smart, too advanced, and when I try to help in class, the other children get mad. And when I get really upset, sometimes…” she trailed off at the end, unwilling to say more. 

“Sometimes you make things happen, and you’re not quite sure how?” Severus asked quietly. 

“How did you know?” she whispered. 

“You, lass, are a witch. A muggleborn witch. That means that your parents are muggles, or people without magic. And I know because things like that happen to _all_ magical children. They happened to me, too, and I’m a wizard. It’s called accidental magic because you have no control over it at your age. It’s perfectly normal, though, so don’t worry.”

Hermione was silent for a moment while she turned that information over in her head. 

“So… how do I get control?”

“Ahh, when you turn eleven, you’ll be able to get your wand. Then, you’ll go to Hogwarts.”

“What’s Hogwarts?”

“It’s a school. I am a professor there.”

“I thought you said you made medicines,” Hermione said, narrowing her eyes slightly at him. Severus chuckled softly. 

“I do make medicines. We call them Potions. And I am the Potions Master who teaches Potions to the dunderheaded students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

“You shouldn’t call them names,” she said with a frown. Quirking a grin, he shifted her in his arms to have one hand free and pointed across the way. 

“See those cauldrons over there in that shop?” He waited for her nod. “They’re made of pewter, a solid metal. When my students can get through one full week without melting one or blowing one to pieces, I’ll stop calling them dunderheads.”

“Oh,” came the small reply, and he snorted as she stared with impossibly wide eyes at the cauldron shop. “They blow up metal cauldrons? They do seem to be dunderheads, then.”

“Quite.”

“Severus? Is there a library here? Only, I don’t think Mummy will believe me when I tell her about this place, and I thought if I could bring her a book about it…”

“There is a bookshop near the pub we’re going to leave from, lass. We’ll get you some books to take home to your parents. Might be easier anyway,” he mumbled the last line under his breath. 

“I don’t have any pocket money with me.”

“Your money wouldn’t work here anyway. This will be my treat. I shall pick a few titles for you and your parents about the Wizarding world, and you may pick two books for pleasure.”

“Any books?” Hermione gasped rapturously. 

“Within reason,” came the stern reply. “I shan’t be purchasing you rare first editions, but for the most part, yes. Any you wish.”

A short time later, Severus was regretting his words. The child was like a Cornish pixie, flitting all over Flourish and Blotts, asking question after question. 

“Severus! Did you know people could turn into animals?” she exclaimed from the Transfiguration section of the store. Exchanging a beleaguered glance with the proprietor, he sighed and headed her way. 

“Yes, lass. That is called the animagus transformation, and it is quite advanced. Not something you could even begin to attempt for years. Why don’t you look in the children’s section?”

“Those are _baby_ books, Severus. These are real magic books! And I can only pick two!” Then she was off and rushing to a different section. Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking up only when he heard a soft laugh coming from across the way. 

“Would that I had a child with as much enthusiasm for education,” a red-headed woman laughed. 

“Yes, well, she’s not mine. She’s…”

“Oh, I assumed not; not many children call their parents by their first names,” the woman continued. “I believe you may know my two eldest children, Professor Snape. William and Charles Weasley? Bill just finished his fourth year, and Charlie his second.”

“Mm. Yes. William is a fine student, a hard worker. And Charles seems to be following nicely in his brother’s footsteps. I trust you’ll be just as proud of the next one.”

“I’ll have several for you, coming up,” she laughed. “Percy will be next, but Arthur and I have seven altogether. My youngest two are around your… friend’s age; we‘re always looking for girls for Ginny to play with. She’s the baby, you know, and the only girl. I must be off; just send an owl to the Burrow if you want to set up a play-date!” And with that, she was gone before Severus could explain that the lass was simply lost and not technically supposed to be in his care. 

“Severus, look at this one! Did you know _dragons_ were real?” 

They finally left the bookstore several galleons later, and walked hand in hand towards the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione was exclaiming over this and that, astonished at all she was seeing. Severus was surprised at his willingness to answer her questions; for some reason, this small girl and her unending chatter didn’t annoy him. As they walked past Fortescue’s, Severus paused. 

“Would you like to get an ice-cream?” he asked the girl. 

“Before dinner?” came the scandalized reply. 

“Yes, lass. Before dinner,” he said with a smile. “I thought we could talk about your parents a bit, and you could help me decide how best to approach them regarding what happened today.”

Scrunching up her nose, Hermione replied, “Well, alright, but maybe we could keep the ice-cream part secret. My parents are dentists, you see.”

“Mm. Yes, well, that is the kind of thing I’d like to know. So. Ice-cream?”

“Alright,” she said happily, and fairly skipped into the shop at his side. Severus noticed three of his students already eating large bowls of the sweet treat, each staring at him in surprise. Ignoring them completely, he reached down and lifted Hermione in his arms once more so that she could see into the glass case and make her choice. “Severus, there’s ever so many flavors! How will I choose?”

“You could always let Mr Fortescue pick for you if you can’t decide, lass. There’s not been a customer he’s ever steered wrong,” Severus snorted softly, fighting a grin. 

“I think I’ll have to,” she said seriously, making him snort once more. Decisions made, orders given, they made their way to a table and settled down to wait. Almost immediately, they were approached by the students he’d seen as they walked in. 

“Professor Snape, fancy seeing you here,” said a tall, swaggering boy, his friends nodding along with him. 

“Messrs Smith and Tremlett, Miss Crenshaw,” he greeted them dryly, attempting to discourage further conversation. When their eyes lit on his small charge, he knew it was for naught. 

“Who’s this with you?” the same boy asked, quite rudely, Hermione thought. 

“I don’t see how that concerns you at all, Mr Smith,” Severus drawled. 

“Are these some of your dunderhead students?” Hermione asked curiously, making the girl gasp and the two boys roll their eyes and scoff. 

“We’re not dunderheads, little girl. Professor Snape just doesn’t like children,” Persephone Crenshaw sneered haughtily down at her. 

“He likes me, and I’m a child. How many cauldrons have you blown up? Maybe that’s why he doesn’t like you,” Hermione shrugged. Severus grinned fully at her, startling the older children; they’d never seen him smile before. 

“Indeed. Perhaps the dunderheads will leave us to our ice-cream; I see it’s on its way.”

The three students glared at the pair awaiting their treats, but ambled off just the same. Once Hermione had finished effusively thanking Florean Fortescue for his magnificent creation, _‘really, lass, it’s just a sundae,’_ Severus drew his wand and silently cast a charm around them, making the girl shiver as she felt the magic settle around them. 

“What was that?” she asked, curiosity always present. 

“Silencing spell. Wouldn’t do to have the dunderheaded trio eavesdropping on us, now would it?”

“Oh no, of course not. Thank you for making sure,” Hermione nodded sagely. 

“You mentioned your parents are dentists?” he said, stifling another grin. 

“Yes, they have their surgery in Worsley. Mummy takes off on Tuesdays and Thursdays now I’m home for summer hols. Otherwise, I go to the neighbour’s house, although on Fridays I get to go to the surgery with them. I like that best, as they’re too busy to tell me to not read.”

“I still do not understand why your parents wish to discourage your reading, lass.”

“Mummy says I need to be ‘well-rounded’ and ‘socially-adept’ to make friends. And I can’t do that if I always have my nose stuck in a book.”

“Surely they enjoy having such an intelligent daughter.”

“They do… they just want me to have friends, too,” Hermione said softly. “Mummy says characters in books don’t count.” Severus harrumphed at that, remembering his own, lonely childhood. 

“Nonsense. Anne and George make fine friends, in my opinion.” He was gratified to see her smile return. “And you have a friend in me, as well.” Now the small child’s smile was all but blinding, and again Severus felt a lurch in his chest. 

“I do so wish I had a brother or two, like Anne does,” Hermione admitted. “Do you have any brothers or sisters, Severus?”

“No, no brothers. I did have a sister for a little while, but she… went to a better place.”

Hermione nodded, remembering her mother saying the same when her Granny had passed away last year. 

“If you’re finished, we should be on our way. I’m sure your mother is worried by now,” Severus suggested. 

“Alright, but remember to not say anything about the ice-cream! Mummy will be ever so cross.”

“As you wish, lass.”

Thanking Mr Fortescue once again, Hermione happily skipped out of the shop holding the hand of her first-ever friend. They quickly came to the Leaky Cauldron, and she listened intently as Severus explained how the floo worked. Soon, they were stepping out of the fireplace in Severus’ parlour, and he walked off in search of an atlas. Returning to the room and spreading the large book out on the table, they pored over the maps inside, determining the best place to apparate without being seen. 

“Are you sure we can’t just apparate into my house? I’m sure Mummy won’t mind,” Hermione said. 

“I’m sure. For the same reason we won’t be apparating into your back garden. It’s… bad manners to do so without asking.”

“I guess. Oh, here,” she said, pointing a spot on the map. “There’s three trees here in a kind of half circle. We can land there and no one would see us. There’s a wall behind, so it’s sheltered. I like to read there sometimes when I can sneak a book out.”

“Mm. Good choice. Shall we?”

“Yes, I believe so. And you’re sure it doesn’t hurt?”

“It is… uncomfortable. You may vomit, but there is no pain involved,” Severus shrugged. 

“I’ll try to avoid your shoes, then,” Hermione said, grimacing in distaste. 

With a chuckle, he lifted the girl in his arms again, told her to close her eyes, and apparated them to the small copse of trees in Worsley Park. He immediately Vanished the small amount of vomit from his shoes, then lifted his brow when she spoke. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t miss your shoes,” she said in a small voice. 

“Mm. Quite alright. Happens to us all the first few times.”

“Well, anyway, my house is just across the street.”

“Lead the way, lass.” He couldn’t help but grin as she grasped his hand again, fairly dragging him home. He managed to stay stoic as she carefully checked both ways several times before crossing the street, and hesitated only briefly before allowing himself to be dragged across the threshold. 

“Mummy! I’m home!” Hermione cried out into the depths of the middle class home. 

From somewhere within he heard an answering voice call out, “Did you have a good time, dear? Make any new friends?”

“Yes, Mummy! I made a new friend called Severus and I’ve brought him home with me!”

“Did you now? Well, ask him if he’d like to stay for dinner, I’m just making it now. He can use the phone to call his mother and ask permission.”

Hermione giggled and glanced up at her friend. “Want to stay for dinner? You can use the phone to call your Mummy if you need to.”

“Lass, go tell your mother I’m an adult,” he chuckled. 

“Alright, alright,” his tiny companion replied, then skipped off towards what he assumed was the kitchen. Feeling only slightly guilty, he cast an eavesdropping charm in the direction she took, then looked about the modestly appointed room. A far cry from his own humble beginnings, everything was soft and clean, and neat as a pin. He could hear the mother and daughter speaking, and turned his attention to what was being said. 

“Mummy, I fell at the park and then I got lost, and I ended up somewhere else. Severus found me and fixed my scrapes and took me to a bookshop and then brought me home. He’s a grown up, but he said he’d be my friend. He’s really nice and he bought me some books and—” Helen whirled around, wiping her hands on a towel before rushing towards her daughter. 

“You got lost? Hermione! You’re not supposed to leave the park! Are you alright?” She grasped her daughter by the shoulders, turning her this way and that, looking for injuries. 

“I’m fine, Mummy! I just told you that Severus fixed my scrapes. He’s in the sitting room, come meet him. He says there’s things he needs to talk to you about anyway,” Hermione insisted, pulling out of her mother’s hold and all but dragging her into the front room. 

“Severus! This is my mother, Helen Granger. Mummy, this is my _friend,_ Severus Snape,” Hermione announced excitedly, thrilled to have finally been able to say those words. 

_‘That name sounds familiar,’_ Helen thought as she followed her daughter. She smiled at the joy she saw on her precious girl’s face, then turned to look at the person who’d placed it there. When she saw the man standing in her sitting room, she gasped. 

“I know you!” Helen said, shocked. 

Startled, Severus looked closely at the mother of his newest friend. “Bloody hell.”

“Language!” Hermione reminded him. 

“Lass, I… I didn’t know… I’m…” Severus took a couple steps backwards and all but fell down onto the couch. 

“Severus, what’s wrong?” Hermione asked worriedly. “Do you need a glass of water?”

“Dear, I’m afraid he’ll need something stronger than that. Get Daddy’s scotch out of the cabinet, along with two glasses. There’s a good girl,” Helen said as she sat heavily on a chair. Hermione rushed to do as she’d been told, desperate to help her only friend. She didn’t know what was going on, but she was determined to fix it. 

Once she’d returned to the room with the requested items, Helen poured out a generous measure into each glass. Hermione dutifully took one to Severus, patting him on the shoulder. 

“Come here, my darling,” Helen said. When Hermione was settled on her lap, she continued. “Do you remember Daddy and me telling you about how we had wished and wished for a baby, but couldn’t have one naturally?” Hermione nodded; it was one of her favourite bedtime stories. “And then we decided that even if we couldn’t do it that way, we still wanted to be parents?”

“Yes, Mummy. And so you adopted me,” Hermione replied. “Because my biological mother had passed away.” 

“Yes, dear. You see, at that time, you also had a biological brother. He was quite a bit older than you, nearly twenty, but that’s not quite old enough to raise a child all by yourself. So your brother was the one who brought you to us.”

“I’ve always wanted an older brother,” Hermione said wistfully, snuggling into her mother’s arms. “I wish you would have adopted him, too.”

“Well, maybe we can.” Helen glanced over to Severus with a warm but nervous smile. “It seems your brother has now brought you to us twice.” Hermione’s head snapped up as she stared at the man across the room. 

“You’re my brother?” she asked tremorously. 

“Lass, I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep you…” His words were cut off when Hermione suddenly flew into his arms. They were both crying, happy tears that wouldn’t stop, and Severus all but crushed her to his chest. 

“I thought you said your sister had died,” Hermione managed to say. 

“No, I said she was in a better place. _This_ is a better place. A fine place. Much better than you would have had with me.”

“Oh,” she said through her tears. “You can live here too if you want. Mummy said we’d adopt you.”

Helen snorted at that, and Severus met her eyes as she laughed. 

“I have a house, lass, remember? But, I do still need to speak with your Mummy about the other thing.”

“Ok, just don’t tell her about the ice-cream,” Hermione whispered loudly. Severus laughed as he looked at Helen, who had obviously heard her daughter’s remark. 

“Alright. I won’t tell her I let you eat ice-cream, I promise.” 

Helen was rolling her eyes at the pair when her husband walked in the door. 

“Hello family,” David called, his usual greeting upon arriving home. Noticing the stranger in his house, he said, “Dear, why is there a grown man in our sitting room, crying and holding our daughter?”

Helen quickly took her husband to the kitchen to explain things to him, and soon the four were seated around the table having dinner. 

“So, Severus, I trust things are better for you now?” David asked briskly as he passed the chicken to his wife. 

“Mm. Yes. First, I want to be clear that I have no intention of taking Hermione away from you; I truly did not know who she was when I found her. As a teacher, however, I wasn’t able to simply walk away from a child in need.”

David breathed a sigh of relief and felt the tension leave his shoulders. He gave the man a sharp nod and said, “Thank you. That’s good to know.”

“You’re a teacher?” Helen asked. 

“Yes, Mummy! He’s a Potions Mas—”

“Lass,” Severus interrupted. “That’s part of the other thing we came here to discuss.”

“Oh, right,” she said sheepishly, then whispered, “Sorry.”

David and Helen looked on curiously as they saw Severus visibly steel himself for what he was about to say. 

“Right. Well, hm. I guess there’s not a simple way to ease into it—”

“I’m a witch and Severus is a wizard and he’s a teacher a magic school and I’ll get to go there when I’m eleven and we brought you a bunch of books so you’d see it’s for real and Severus has a magic wand and he healed my knees with it and we went through the fireplace to his house and then apparated home and I threw up on his shoes!”

With her parents staring at her in shock, Severus shook his head in exasperation at his… sister. 

“Or I guess that works too.”

“I’m sorry, what now?” David finally said.  
  
“You threw up on his shoes?” Helen exclaimed. 

“Have you ever noticed that when Hermione is especially worried or upset that things just… seem to happen?”

Helen drew in a sharp breath and reached out to grasp at David’s arm.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ What you were witnessing is called ‘accidental magic.’ It’s something that happens to all magical children, and will continue to do so until she learns to channel her magic.”

“And… you can do magic, too.” David said slowly. 

“I can.”

“You didn’t think that was something you should have told us at the adoption?” Helen’s voice was shrill. Severus narrowed his eyes at the woman. 

“Would it have made a difference?”

“Of course not!” David exploded. “But we would have been _prepared!_ We would have known what was going on! Jesus Christ, man! We’ve sent her to a psychiatrist about it! Come here, my darling, I’m so sorry! We just didn’t know what was going on,” he babbled and held out his arms to his beloved daughter as she flew around the table and into his arms. 

“I couldn’t tell you,” Severus said quietly. “It was against the law. There’s a Statute of Secrecy, which I can explain fully, and also, at that time, the Wizarding world was embroiled in a war. I am so sorry, but I _had_ to keep her safe. It was the only way I knew how.”

“You were not much more than a child yourself, dear. Of course we understand. And you’re here now. That’s all that matters,” Helen told him, her heart going out to the young man at the table. “Your war is over now, I take it? You’ve won?”

Severus hunched his shoulders, but nodded and cleared his throat. 

“Hm, yes. I originally joined the wrong side, to be quite honest. Once I found out what was really going on, however… well. I became a spy for the Light. I suppose you need to know the truth, being my… sister’s parents. I did spend some time in Azkaban, the Wizarding prison. But I was acquitted of all charges on the basis of my work for the Light. I can have Albus Dumbledore speak with you on my behalf, should you wish. He is the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where I teach. He was also my... handler, I suppose you would say, regarding my spy work during the war.” He bowed his head and waited to be ordered out of the house, never to see his sister again. David and Helen exchanged meaningful looks, and then David spoke. 

“What made you switch sides?”

Severus sighed. “To understand that, you have to know more about what was going on at the time. You see, there are three types, or classes, rather, of wizards. The purebloods; those who can trace their magical ancestry back for generations. Half-bloods, like myself and Hermione, who have mixed ancestry, both magical and muggle. And then there are the muggleborns; those with no magical ancestry at all.”

“So it was a class war,” Helen said, making a moue of distaste. 

“In the beginning, yes. It quickly became an actual war, though. The leader of the purebloods was called the Dark Lord. He wanted, well, he wanted only purebloods and half-bloods to have magic, and only the purebloods to have power.”

“And you agreed with this? As a half-blood?” Helen’s brows drew together in confusion. 

“The Dark Lord also promised dominion over muggles,” Severus admitted. “People like yourselves; those with no magic. My mother was a pureblood witch, you see, who had been disowned by her family for marrying a muggle. My father was not a kind man. When the mill in our town closed, he turned to the drink, and the drink made him… violent. To both my mother and myself. He was the reason you were able to adopt Hermione, and also the reason she was born two months early. When I was promised that people like him, violent, cruel muggles, would never be able to harm witches again? It sounded…” he trailed off and cleared his throat. 

“Like something to fight for,” Helen said softly, and Severus’ black eyes snapped up to meet hers. She patted his hand, and he smiled gratefully at her. 

“Exactly. It was something to fight for. But, all that glitters was not gold, and soon I overheard a prophecy that was taken to mean the wrong thing. I had unwittingly doomed a dear friend’s family to a painful death. In my haste to try to save her, I switched sides and worked for the Light from then on. She was…” he took a shuddering breath. “She and her husband were killed anyway, but her son still lives. He’s nearly a year younger than Hermione. It is my greatest regret that I could not save his mother. Even more so than my own, as I know it to be my fault that she died.”

“Nonsense, Severus. Unless you were holding the weapon that killed her, it couldn’t have been your fault,” David insisted. Severus glanced up at him, giving him a rueful look.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that, sir. In any case, the night she died was the end of the war. Somehow, when the Dark Lord went to kill my friend’s family, he only succeeded in killing Lily and her husband. When he tried to kill the child, something happened and the curse he used rebounded onto himself. He died that night, saving all of the Wizarding world. People call her son The Boy Who Lived. No one before, or since, has ever survived a killing curse.” Severus was quiet for a few moments, before taking a breath to speak again. “I’m telling you all of this so you understand why I couldn’t keep Hermione. War is no place for a child, and especially not with a spy. I wanted her to be happy, to be loved; I needed to hide her away somewhere safe.”

“Is… your father still in the picture?” Helen asked worriedly. She was suddenly terrified they’d taken a child from a grieving parent. 

Severus snorted. “No. After he ki— after mother died, he became a guest of Her Majesty at Strangeways. He passed there last year.”

“I see,” she replied, aghast at what all this poor man had been through. Hermione squirmed out of her father’s embrace and climbed up onto Severus’ lap. 

“You can share Mummy and Daddy with me, Severus. I don’t mind,” she offered. Severus smiled down at her and tapped the end of her nose. 

“That’s a lovely offer, lass, but I rather think I’m too old for a new Mummy and Daddy now.”

“You’re never too old for parents who love and care for you, dear,” Helen said sternly. “We’d be happy to have another child, even if he is mostly grown.”

“Mostly?” Severus asked, amused. 

David waved his hand dismissively. “You’re not really an adult until your mid-thirties. And even then, you won’t have everything figured out, son. Trust me.”

Severus’ chest hurt at the older man’s words. He could feel his face heating, and was horrified to realize the burning in his eyes was becoming a real threat of tears. He cleared his throat and asked, “Even after all I’ve told you, you’re willing to…” he cut himself off before becoming even more choked up. 

“You’re my daughter’s brother,” David said matter-of-factly. “If that doesn’t make you at least _partially_ my son, I don’t know what would.” Severus nodded, unable to speak. “Unless…” David suddenly went on, narrowing his eyes as he spoke. Severus braced for the worst. “Which football team do you support?”

“Oh, David,” Helen said exasperatedly. 

“Now, now, dear, if we’re taking him into our family, I deserve an answer. Can’t have the wrong sort around our girl, now can we?”

“Daddy!” Hermione giggled, still perched on Severus’ lap. 

“I grew up in Cokeworth, so I’m a Manc boy. I’d have to go with Man City.”

Hermione squealed and clapped, Helen rolled her eyes, and David muttered, “Thank god you don’t go for United Manchester.”

“To be honest, though, I haven’t seen a footie game in years. Quidditch is the sport for wizards, and of the professional leagues, I support the Falmouth Falcons. Of course at Hogwarts, I support Slytherin, as I am their Head of House.”

“Quidditch?” David asked, interested. 

“Mm, yes. It’s played on brooms in the air, has four balls, three goals to a side, and seven players to a team. It’s rather hard to explain, but I can bring you a book on it if you’d like, or take you to a game. Or both.”

“Why don’t the two of you go to the den and talk sports while Hermione and I clear the table?” Helen offered. 

“Oh, please. Allow me,” Severus insisted, moving Hermione off his lap. 

“Nonsense, you’re a guest,” Helen spluttered, then watched in fascination as he pulled out what appeared to be an actual magic wand. 

“If you’ll allow me to cast in your home, I can make short work of this.”

“Go right ahead,” David replied, eager to see what would happen. Helen was torn between not wanting to allow him to do the dishes, and wanting to see magic as well. 

Severus waved his wand, and soon all of the plates carried themselves off towards the sink. Hermione squealed and danced around the kitchen as they flew through the air, clapping as they dipped into the suddenly full sink of sudsy water. 

“Mummy, it’s just like the Sword and the Stone!”

“It is, sweetheart. It truly is,” Helen agreed. 

Once the dishes had been cleaned, and after Severus had admitted that what he had done was a bit more grandiose than the usual way of washing up with magic, they returned to the sitting room to look at the books Severus had bought the family. 

“This is a history of the Wizarding world,” he said, handing over a volume called _A History of Magic._ “It only covers up to the nineteenth century, so I’ve also brought _Modern Magical History_ as well. There are certain illnesses that can only affect witches and wizards, so here is a copy of _Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions_ in case Hermione comes down with something you don’t recognize.” Helen took the medical text gratefully, as David was already paging through the history books. 

“I assumed you’d be curious about where she’ll go to school. I’ve brought both _Hogwarts, A History_ and _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe._ I may be biased as I do teach there, but in my opinion, Hogwarts is the premier school of magic in Europe.”

“Of course, of course,” Helen said distractedly, thumbing through a book. Suddenly she gasped. “The pictures move!”

“Yes, they tend to do that,” Severus replied dryly, and Hermione giggled. 

“Mummy, look at the ones Severus got for me! I got to pick out two for myself!” the girl exclaimed, handing her mother her new copies of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and _Tales of Beedle the Bard._

“Severus, you must’ve spent a fortune! You must let us pay you back for these,” Helen began, but Severus held up his hand. 

“No, madam. They weren’t too dear, and I do get a discount for being a Hogwarts employee. The school has a deal with the bookshop; think nothing of it. The last things I’ve brought are these pamphlets; one on the Statue of Secrecy, one on how to access the Ministry as muggles, and one on the floo.”

“Floo?” David queried, looking up from the book he was holding. 

“The fireplace, Daddy,” Hermione explained. “We walked right into the flames at a pub, and came out at Severus’ house! And it didn’t make my tummy feel yucky like apparating did.”

“Witches and wizards don’t use telephones, and few have ever been inside of a car, much less own one. We communicate and travel using magical means. Our post is delivered by owl, and we use the floo to both make calls as you would a telephone, and to travel between places with a connection. There is also apparition, port keys, and brooms, but we don’t need to get into that now.”

“And this apparition, you said this is what Hermione did today?” 

“Yes, Daddy. But I did it by accident.”

“That you did, lass,” Severus said, chuckling at the small girl. Looking towards David, he said, “If you’re a fan of science fiction, I believe you would liken it to teleportation. And to do it properly, one must pass a licensing test. At the age of seventeen.”

“Oh dear, she’s not going to be in trouble, is she?” Helen asked worriedly. 

“Not at all. Accidental magic is just that; accidental. Children aren’t held liable for what their magic does until they get a wand at eleven. And even then, accidents happen. It can’t be helped, and we do understand.” Just then, Hermione yawned loudly. 

“Oh, excuse me,” she said sheepishly. 

“It’s getting rather late; perhaps I should take my leave,” Severus said. 

“No! Mummy tell him no!” Hermione cried, launching herself into his arms. Severus held her tightly, giving her mother a small grin over her bushy head. 

“Not forever, lass. I promise you that. Not forever.”

“Hermione, dear, go upstairs, brush and floss, then get into your pyjamas. You may come back down to tell your brother goodbye before you go to bed.”

Severus’ heart clenched for the umpteeth time that day when the small child hugged him even tighter and whispered to herself, “I have a brother!” She pulled back, placed her hands on either side of his face, and said sternly, “Don't leave. I’ll be right back.”

Severus nodded seriously at her, and she took off running for the stairs. He fondly watched her go, absently rubbing his chest as he did so. David snorted at the gesture. 

“That’s love.”

“I beg your pardon?”

The older man waved his hand in the general direction of Severus’ hand rubbing. “What you’re feeling in your heart right now. That’s love, son. I dare say you haven’t had a lot of it in your life, so I thought you ought to know.”

Severus swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. Helen took pity on him and changed the subject. 

“We both have to work tomorrow, dear, but are you free on Saturday? Perhaps we could visit again then.”

Clearing his throat, he replied, “Mm, yes. That would be lovely. Perhaps I could make arrangements for you to speak with Professor Dumbledore then, as well.”

“Only if you think it necessary, son,” David answered him, and the lump came right back. 

Soon, his arms were full of a pyjama-clad child, begging him to read her a story and tuck her into bed. Startled, he looked towards her parents who shrugged and gestured for him to follow his sister up the stairs. Helen stood in the doorway as Severus read _The Wizard and the Hopping Pot_ and _The Fountain of Fair Fortune_ to Hermione, then carefully pulled the covers up to her chin. After she sat up to give him one more hug, he tucked her tightly in again. Then she needed a kiss. Then another hug. Finally, Helen cleared her throat from the doorway, and Hermione settled down for the last time. Before he could stand to leave, however, she grasped his hand and said, “I’m so glad you’re my brother, Severus. I love you.”

“I love you too, lass. I’m glad you’re my sister."


End file.
